Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-14
4 INT RANDY.
An En,omoIoricnI sLe,ch.


only mile or two out from Frauconia vii
lage Nathan was driving, while Pirate
and Corsair Nathan would always call the
Inter Horsehairl, IN defiance of their reck
less names, loupgod lazily along the road
1t was June, and the season was a little
late, hut along the margins of the streams
the early buttercups were shining all gold
en- IN the sun, the tiarela sent up featherv
spikes of white and m the woods the paint
ed trilliuns-the "Benjamins' of the cuun-
try folk-were unfolding their delicate pink
and white flower. The hunchbcrrv made
mounds Of creamy bloom at the roots of
ancient trees star flower, gold thread, and
anemones starred the woods and in the
swamps toothworth, marsh marigold. and
purple avens we're growing.
Again and again were the horses-always
obliging in this DIatter-nade to stop by
the peculiar sound, something between hiss.
roll, and cuck, which TO the Franconia
steed means whoa ~ and Jumped out to
secure some tall stalk Of baueberry flowers.
branch Of hobble bush or red -berried el-
der, to gather fragrant bunch of smila-
Gina or few white violets
Just a. had returned to the carriage af-
ter one Of these raids, and the horses had
started up in u sudden burst Of speed, "too
bright to last, | saw an odd sight In the
small garden back of a house past which
we were flying was woman who conduct
ed herself iii the strangest manner. Though
apparently rather elderly, she was dashing
frantically about, her wide cap border fiap-
ping around her face, her limp calico gown
twisted about her ankles by the breeze, and
her long arms waving in the air. In one
hand she held what looked 70 me, as was
hurried by like u banner of dingy white on
a long pole, and with this she performed the
widest antics Now it was waved aloft,
while its bearer stood on tiptoe, and even
Sprang into the air, head bent backward
and face upturned then it sank to the
ground or was trailed over the vegetable
beds. Standing Up in the carriage and
looking back eagerly / could see the wild
dance continue, until suddenly the flag was
quickly lowered or dashed to the ground,
and the strange standard bearer threw her
self down beside iI in crouching attitude,
and seemed to clasp its folds in her skinny
hands
Nathan Nathan 20 l cried breathless.
What is it Oh, who is she Z"
Aunt Randy
But what is the matter with her Is
she crazy :"
Nathan stopped to pick up branch of
ily-honeysuckle which had fallen from the
seat as he answered impassively, Guess
not no mure'n most women
But what is she doing :"
"Ketchin' butterflies" "
"Oh H' cried |, drawing a long breath,
expressive of both disappointment and re
lief. II see that was a net she was hold
ing, and she is q cQllector,
l am woman of hobbies myself, and
Ia la ~
ardor, so felt at once interested in this
congenial being and questioned Nathan
with new zeal. | soon knew all he had to
tell, which was but little The woman had
come to Franconiga q few years before from
North Woodstock. She was dressed in
black, looked pale and wretched, and seem
ell TO be alone in the world She lived bv
herself in the little white house where we
saw her, and didn't seem t. t,,ke no notice
of no one SAe avoided the neighbors
shut herself up in dark rooms, never went
10 "meetin'" or "sewin' scietyn or any
such gathering, and refused to admit the
minister or other friendly visitors, But
there was sudden change. One summer
day she was seen in field near her house
"chasin' yeller butterfly, and after that
she was a different being.
'She took TO all kinds o live hyin' an
crawhn' an hoppin creeters," the story
went on. Shed spend a hull day runnin'
after butterflies and millers, and huntin'
for bugs an caterpillers an spiders an hop
pergrasses. An nights she'd be scootin'
round with lantern to ketch them big
hairy things like bats that flop into lights
An she'd keep her winder open every
evenln', and start pp an kite around the
room with that kiud6r fish net, an ketch
hot - l..
began to take notice o. people-children
fust an she'd ask the boys an girls TO
come in an see der live things, an she'd
talk real nice to 'em-goods book. An
somehow she's different every way, pleas
anter-spoken an contented ike some folks
thinks shes crazy, an she does act dretlie
queer sometimes, But there's crazier peo-
pie outside the syluns than Aunt Randy
rs she married Has she a family y
We'll, folks say she's a wilder, an her
husband was bad lot. She peyep says
nothin' about him, an she don't think no
great Vt I0en- folks. Her names Mis- Gates,
an Randys short for Mirandy but ] tell
folks she's so independent an sot ON not be-
longin' to no man, she won't let any one
call her My anything, so she's left it off O.
Randy"
1t was not long before l made the ac-
quaintance of the odd entomologist. /
think she recognized in me kindred spirit,
saw that too liked ''Ayin' an crawlin' an
hOppin' creeturs," and SO met my advances
more readily, The boys were devoted an
glers that summer, and there were trout to
be found in landau river. So we would
all drive down the valley road, stop in some
pleasant, shady spot, and leaving the horses
under Nathan's faithful though sometimes
drowsy care, amuse ourselves in our vari-
Gus ways. The boys were happy for hours
together with their rods and lines. wan
dered about after butterflies and moths,
and invariably ended ly stopping before
Aunt Randy's door.
Strange as it may appear, Aunt Randy
had not only never seen a book about in
sects, but she had never even known, until
she met me- that such books existed. She
had never met an entomolOgist or any one
interested in the study of her favorites,
and all her information was derived from
her own experience. SO her talk was fresh
aud delightful, and quite free from polly
syllable terms and the ever-changing no
menclature of the study as we find il in
books. | remember that the first thing /
ever carried to her for Identification was a
butterfly. " was Che large dark chocolate
one with pale yellow borders, known as the
Antiopa Now l confess | knew its name
and something of its habits but | wished
to test Aunt Randy's knowledge, As she
saw it her rugged face lighted up with a
smile of recognition, aud taking it gently
from my hands, as though she were touch
ing baby, she said